Wednesday, December 17, 2008

December 2008

So here we are with many of the shrouds and backstays in place.

Things are really starting to look jumbled so it is a good thing that this is all temporary and will be ultimately be moved out of the way for easy access to the deck.

Here is a nice view of the fore mast chain plate where all of the shrouds and backstays will eventually be attached using deadeyes.

Next, I begin moving the fore shrouds and backstays out of the way so that I can access the foremast for attaching the main stays. I draw a simple numbered diagram to specify where everything will eventually be tied off.

Now, each of the shrouds and backstays are numbered and labeled and I begin detaching everything in groups and coiling them up.

This is a very delicate process and it warrants taking the time to do it as neatly as possible. This helps to ensure that everything is properly labeled and that the coils don't become tangled when it comes time to unravel everything for final attachment.

Once I have all of the shrouds and backstays on the foremast out of the way, I will begin attaching all of the remaining main stays (fixed rigging that supports the main mast).